Baghdad governorate moves against private generator owners over artificial fuel crisis

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Baghdad governorate has announced strict measures against private generator operators accused of manufacturing an artificial crisis, according to the governorate's technical adviser, Hani al-Rubayi. He said the governorate's generator commission convened an emergency task force after some owners threatened to shut down their units entirely. Al-Rubayi said Prime Minister Ali al-Zidani's decision to suspend tax collection on the sector for two months and separate fuel distribution from tax collection has undermined operators' claims of additional financial burdens. The governorate has stressed that generator owners must comply with the measures to keep services running without interruption. The governorate also sent an urgent official letter to the Ministry of Oil requesting the opening of direct commercial diesel sales points in neighborhoods to address the fuel shortage. Baghdad Provincial Council member Hussein al-Hazzai said many generator owners had been violating the official tariff and raising prices under the pretext of fuel scarcity. Al-Hazzai welcomed a decision by the National Security Advisory to track owners who threaten shutdowns over tax collection, saying the governorate's administrative units would actively support any measure aimed at protecting residents. No further details were immediately available on how the monitoring or enforcement measures would be carried out.